Posted on 08/04/2006 8:13:53 AM PDT by WmShirerAdmirer
"The radiation portal monitors properly signaled the presence of radioactive material when our two teams of investigators conducted simultaneous border crossings. Our investigators’ vehicles were inspected in accordance with most of the (Customs and Border Protection) policy at both the northern and southern borders. However, GAO’s investigators, using counterfeit documents, were able to enter the United States with enough radioactive sources in the trunks of their vehicles to make two dirty bombs."
BORDER SECURITY Investigators Transported Radioactive Sources Across Our Nation's Borders at Two Locations
Highlights of GAO-06-940T, testimony before the Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Non-Proliferation, Committee on International Relations, House of Representatives
Given today’s unprecedented terrorism threat environment and the resulting widespread congressional and public interest in the security of our nation’s borders, GAO conducted an investigation testing whether radioactive sources could be smuggled across U.S. borders.
Most travelers enter the United States through the nation’s 154 land border ports of entry. Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors at ports of entry are responsible for the primary inspection of travelers to determine their admissibility into the United States and to enforce laws related to preventing the entry of contraband, such as drugs and weapons of mass destruction.
GAO’s testimony provides the results of undercover tests made by its investigators to determine whether monitors at U.S. ports of entry detect radioactive sources in vehicles attempting to enter the United States. GAO also provides observations regarding the procedures that CBP inspectors followed during its investigation. GAO has also issued a report on the results of this investigation (GAO-06-545R).
For the purposes of this undercover investigation, GAO purchased a small amount of radioactive sources and one secure container used to safely store and transport the material from a commercial source over the telephone. One of GAO’s investigators, posing as an employee of a fictitious company located in Washington, D.C., stated that the purpose of his purchase was to use the radioactive sources to calibrate personal radiation detection pagers.
The purchase was not challenged because suppliers are not required to determine whether prospective buyers have legitimate uses for radioactive sources, nor are suppliers required to ask a buyer to produce an NRC document when purchasing in small quantities. The amount of radioactive sources GAO’s investigator sought to purchase did not require an NRC document. Subsequently, the company mailed the radioactive sources to an address in Washington, D.C.
The radiation portal monitors properly signaled the presence of radioactive material when our two teams of investigators conducted simultaneous border crossings. Our investigators’ vehicles were inspected in accordance with most of the CBP policy at both the northern and southern borders. However, GAO’s investigators, using counterfeit documents, were able to enter the United States with enough radioactive sources in the trunks of their vehicles to make two dirty bombs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a dirty bomb is a mix of explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive powder or pellets. When the dynamite or other explosives are set off, the blast carries radioactive material into the surrounding area.
The direct costs of cleanup and the indirect losses in trade and business in the contaminated areas could be large. Hence, dirty bombs are generally considered to be weapons of mass disruption instead of weapons of mass destruction. GAO investigators were able to successfully represent themselves as employees of a fictitious company present a counterfeit bill of lading and a counterfeit NRC document during the secondary inspections at both locations. The CBP inspectors never questioned the authenticity of the investigators’ counterfeit bill of lading or the counterfeit NRC document authorizing them to receive, acquire, possess, and transfer radioactive sources. (Continued, This GAO Report GAO-06-940T is 12 pages)
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-940T
To view the full product, including the scope and methodology, click on the link above.
For more information, contact Gregory D. Kutz at (202) 512-7455 or
kutzg@gao.gov.
General Accounting Office Report # GAO-06-939T, July 5, 2006 -
July 7, 2006 Report (both .pdf) (Updated 15 Jul 06)
Wonderful news! Oh, and better yet, these morons have to disclose it for the entire world to hear.
If there are holes in our border security (does a bear $#!& in the woods), then why not FIX the problems and THEN tell us "there was a problem, but we fixed it and you folks can now sleep better at night." Morons.
And just where is our money really going in the great swindle of things.
Just one of the many things we borderbots have been screaming about.
They wouldn't even be that except the EPA and every other agency with a geiger counter will bury commerce and residence with paperwork and cleanup contracts.
Not in the slightest.
these morons have to disclose it for the entire world to hear.
IBTNYT!
Professionally speaking, I wouldn't have the first clue what an NRC Document should look like. Not one of the things they bother telling you at the Academy.
Not good news but not a surprise either. Radioactive material for such a dirty bomb is far more available and easier to obtain then a real nuke. My belief is that the only reason we have not see one of these things go off is that Bush is President. If one does go off, we will find the group and the state sponsor behind it and nuke them in return. It won't be surprising that if we attack Iran to see one go off. The mullahs will say a one last screw you message to us before leaving power permanently.
I went looking after reading and post and still didn't see what an actual NRC document looked like. All I found was this.
A dirty bomb is basically, and explosive that has some quantity of radioactive material packed into it. So far so good. A dirty bomb, when it explodes, does not make or creaete any new radioactive material. So, any that you desire to spread by the explosion, you have to pack in to begin with.
When you concentrate radioactive material, the associated dose rates will increase, and vice versa when you disperse them.
So, for a person to have enough radioactive material to do as the drive-by-media suggest (Render square miles uninhabitable for years) you need to have a Very Substantial amount of radioactive material. If the device were able to be man-carried, the dose rates on said device would be life threatening. If you were to shield it, you would need a facility to construct and heavy transport.
The explosion of the device would disperse the materials and there would be some exposure to people but very probably nothing life threatening at all. The biggest effect would be the damage from the explosion itself, the 'panic' of the public, followed by the need to decon the area. This type of readiation is a 'whole-body' hazard, meaning that you receive internal and external exposures even if you do not ingest any materials.
That is for a 'beta-gamma-emitter' isotope. If you went with an 'alpha-emitter' no shielding would be necessary. This device would not give anyone exposures at all unless the material were ingested. The same effects would apply for this device.
So these people went through all this rigamarole to get stuff across the border. There is no need for a group to do that. We already have cells here in country, we know that. There are plenty of low-level sources, used commonly IN EVERYDAY LIFE, that they could use. Remember, all the headline needs to be is "Dirty Bomb Explodes". One little source, that exists in almost EVERY US home could be detonated and THAT would be a durty bomb.
The best that could come of this would be to slam the borders shut, but that won't happen, Jorge is still pushing for his Amnesty. That being the case, were I going to 'set them up the bomb', I'd go on down to WalMart and get me a few sources nice and easy.
In any event, a dirty bomb results in physical damage, scared people and some clean up. No Bigee.
I believe that as well. It's a terrorist scare the pacificist and submission weapon.
Thanks for another (less scary) perspective.
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